Every Filipino A Hero

Two Stories, One Message

Rachel and Joseph’s passion for their careers, the heart for service, and their strong faith naturally brought them together. Through sheer dedication and love for the arts, Rachel and Joseph were able to successfully set-up their own graphic design business, Pixel Pencils. In every step of their entrepreneurial journey, they believed that God has guided them and blessed them tremendously. “We strive hard to earn money. But we strive harder to use what we earned in more meaningful ways — not because of what we have nor what we can do, but because of His will to provide everything we need,” they shared.This statement is a testament of how they offer back to the Lord all their triumphs and blessings, because for them, they are instruments from whom others could also be blessed.

Two stories of service

Being a beneficiary of Children International when she was a child, Rachel was introduced to the advocacy of volunteering early on in life. With the love and kindness she has received, she knew she had to give back and pass on the goodwill to others. She was also part of Youth Health Corps, an in-house program of the organization, where she assisted in educating teenagers on reproductive health. She was also active in Red Cross during college.

As for Joseph, he has worked with an environmental and non-government organization called Pusod, where he was in charge with the production of the weekly regional newspaper, Balikas. His was involved in seminars on educating citizens on the proper ways of preserving the environment, and assisted in organizing tree planting activities in the Taal Volcano protected landscape. He also joined various environmental activities, such as the International Coastal Cleanup and Earth Day.

Both agree that we do not always need to equate volunteering to very huge events or major programs: “As long as we do what we can in our own simple way to help and bless others — sharing food to the hungry, teaching, etc., we are volunteering.” Rachel and Joseph’s definition of volunteerism gives us an idea of the different and creative ways to be proactive in serving through our own unique abilities.

Sharing their success to others

Rachel and Joseph also see their volunteer work as a way where they can share their success with others. According to the both of them, “Having a successful career does not guarantee a successful life. Though we are always striving for success in our own careers, we want to work on developing other people’s success as well.” Their achievements are defined by how others become inspired by their own acts of service.

Greatly moved by the selflessness of Christ, they continue to strive hard in their field, while also letting the love they receive grow through sharing it to everyone they encounter. For Rachel and Joseph, their accomplishments become more meaningful when they are able to bless the lives of others. Both of them highly encourage volunteering, where everyone can share their talents and spark inspiration, and even motivate others to go beyond their own definition of success.